Wire-hoop machine



June 5, 1 923.

G, E. BULL WIRE HOOP MACHINE INVENTOFI June 5,' 1923'.

G. E. BULL WIRE HOOP MACHINE Filed Feb. 9 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO l +4 Jrlli IWXII'IRI IIN. .l

June 5; 1923.

1,457,691 G. E. BULL WIRE HOOP momma Filed Feb. 9 1922 e Sheets-Sheet 5 Juhe5f1923.

G. E. BULL WIRE HOOP MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR June 5, T923.

1,457,691 (5. E. BULL WIRE HOOP MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 9 a? m l O I x i I? r l o i i \\I F J '43: 2/ l I 20 49 *-r--*" Y June 5, 1923.

1,457,691 G E. BULL WIRE HOOP MACHINE I, Filed Feb. 9, 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 8/ 5 -5 7 061g? 50 67 3/ FIG. 11 79 //5 4 4 4/ f 0 H ==:L:L===== 4=;''

78 FIG; 12 79 Patented June 5, 192K UNHE GEORGE E. BULL, OF MONESS EN, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOE T PITTSBURGH STEEL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENHSYLVANIAQ f Winn-r1002 MACHINE.

' Application filed February e, 1922. Serial No. 535,348.

T o all whom it may concern e it known that I, GEORGE E. Burn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Monessen, in the county of Westmoreland' and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in WVire-Hoop Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a wire hoop ma chine.

In theaccompanying drawing Fig. 1 1s a plan view of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3. is an enlarged end view partly broken away; Fig, 4' is an enlarged section through the feed-rolls and showing'the manner in which the upper feedroll is held in yielding engagement with the lower feed-roll; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of the twister-gear; Fig. 6

therefrom; Fig. 13 shows the finished hoop Figs. 14 and 15 show the portions of the hoop showing the twist; Fig. 16 is a detail of the guiding blocks; Fig, 17 is a detail of the knife holder; Fig. 18 is a cross-section on the line 18-18, Fig. 10; and Fig. 19 is a de tail of the ratchet and pawl device for operating the twister.

In the drawing, the numeral 2 designates a suitable frame in which is mounted in suitable bearings the shaft 3, said shaft carrying the tight and loose'pulleys 4i and 5 which may be connected up by a suitable belt to any source of power.

A spur gear 6 on the shaft 3 meshes with the gear-wheel 7 on the countershaft 8 mounted in suitable bearings in the frame. Connected to the countershaft 8 is the crankarm 9, to the outer end of which is connected the pitman 10, the connection of said crank-arm being adjustable to provide for different lengths of throw of the pitman 10. The outer end of the pitman 10 is connected to the arm 11 mounted on the shaft 12. The

arm 11 carries the pawl 13*which is adapted to engagethe teeth of th'e'ratchet-wheel 1'4 mounted on the shaft 12. In this manner an intermittent rotary motion is imparted, v

to the shaft .12 to provide for the intermittent feed of the wire, as will more fully hereinafterappear. v

On the shaft 12 is the gear-wheel 15 which meshes with the spur-gear 16 on the shaft 17. The gear-wheel 18 on the shaft 17 meshes with the spur-gear 19o n the shaft 20.

The shaft 20 carries the lowerfeed-r0l121 which is preferably made in two parts,one part 22 having the seanteeth 23 and the hubs portion 2%. On the hub-portion 24' is mounted the disc 25 which is secured to the part 22 by screws 26 and has the peripheral grooves 27 formed therein to receive the wire designated by the numeral 28.

The upper 'feed-roll 29 is formed in two parts in the same manner'as the lower feedteeth of thelower' roll meshing with the gear-teeth of the upper roll. I

' roll, and the upper roll is driven by the" The upper roll is yieldingly mounted' in the following manner. Arms 30 are looselymounted on the "shaft 17 and in the outer ends of said arms is the shaft 31 on which is loosely mounted the upper feed-roll. At

the outer ends of the arms 30 are the pro-' jections 32' and 33 through which'the eyebolts 34 pass, the lower ends of said eye-bolts being connected to the studs 35 on the standards 36 mounted on the frame of the machine. Springs 37 encircle the bolts 34 and are interposed between theprojections 32 and 33 and nuts 88 onsaid bolts; In this manner the upper feed-rolliis held in" en gagement with the lower feed-roll with any desired pressure which can be controlledby adjusting thenuts 38;

By making the feed-rolls in the form above described, with the removable discs 25 when, one of the peripheral grooves 27 has been worn so as not to properly hold the wire for feeding, said disc may be removed and reversed so as-to bring the other groove into play, and in this way the life'of the feedrolls is prolonged. r

The wire 28 passes first through suitable straightening rolls 39 before reaching the feed-rolls and after I passing the feed-rolls the wire enters the guide 40, which has the removable cover orplate'il held inplace :by'

the screws 42. The guide 40 is made up of two sections 43 and 44, the section 44 having the flaring inlet 45 which guides the wire properly.

Just beyond the guide 10 is the knife 16 which is mounted in the holder 47 and said holder is adapted to move up and down in suitable guides 48. The knife-holder 47 is connected at its lower end to the crank arm 4L9 on the shaft 49, which shaft is mounted to turn in its bearings 51. Connected to said shaft is the longitudinal arm 52 which is connected by the spring 53 to the frame at the point '54. The action of the spring 53 is to hold the knife normally out of the path of the wire. To operate the knife a cam 55 on the shaft 56 is adapted to engage the roller 57 on the arm 52, and as the arm 52 is advancedby the movement of said cam the knife-holder 17is drawn down and the knife severe the wire, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The twister-gear 58 has the hub portions 59 resting in bearings 60 in the standards 61. This twister-gear, as illustrated in Fig. 5., has the teeth 62 which are engaged by teeth of the gear-wheel 63 mounted on the shaft 64. A bevel pinion 65 on the shaft 64 is engaged by the bevel-gear 66 on the shaft 56. Secured to the outer end of the shaft 56 is the ratchet 67. A pitman 68 is connected to the crank arm 69 on the shaft 8, said pitman being provided with the turnbuckle 70 for the purpose of adjusting the twister-gear in proper relation with adjustmentof the wire feeding device. The outer end of the pitrnan 68 is connected to a crank 71 provided with a pawl 72 adapted to engage the ratchet 67 whereby an intermittent rotary movement is imparted to the shaft 56 and through said shaft to the twistergear 58.

The twister-gear 58 has the slot 73 formed therein, and within said slot is the hardened steel slide 74 which is secured to the gear by the screws 75. Said slide has the slot 76 formed therein to receive the wire. y attaching .the slide to the gear in this manner, as the slide wears it may be readily replaced.

Beyond the twister-gear is the gripping device which consists of the arm 7 8 pivotally mounted at 79. The lower end 80 of the gripper-arm 78 engages the wires and grips them during the twisting operation. A spring 81 connected to the upper end of the arm 78 and to the post 82 normally holds the gripper out of operation, and the gripper is thrown into operation by the following mechanism.

A pusher 83 is mounted in a suitable guide 8 i, and to the outer end of the pusher '83 is connected the lever 83 by the pin 83 engaging the slot 83 in said lever. The lower end of lever 83 is connected to the lug 83 in the frame, and a roller 83 on said lever is engaged by the cam 85 on the camshaft 86. This cam-shaft 86 is driven through a train of gears 86 and 86 from a gear 86 on the shaft 87, said shaft connecting with the shaft 8 through'a pair of bevel gears 88-89. The pusher 83 is provided with the hardened steel finger 90 which is secured in said pusher by the set-screw 90, and said finger may be adjusted therein as may be found necessary to grip different sizes of wire.

The former 91 for shaping the wire into hoop-form is made up of the circular rimportions 92 with the web-portion 93 which,

with the movable plates or retainers 93 and 95, forms the passage or guide-way 91 in the former for giving the shape to the wire as it is fed thereto, as is clearly shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 18. stripping or ejecting of the hoop from the former, the plates 9e and 95 are made movable inwardly and outwardly. A lever '96 is pivotally mounted at its outer end by means of the pin 97 in the clevis 98 secured to the movable plate 9 1. The lever 96 is To provide for the slotted at 99 to receive the pin 97 to allow for the proper play of said lever. The inner end of the lever 96 is secured to the shaft 100. A second lever 101 is secured to the shaft 100, and the outer end of said lever carries the roller 102, which is in the path of the cam 103, on the shaft 86, whereby when said cain engages said roller 102 the levers 101 and 96 are moved so that the guide-plate 94f is lifted to the position shown in Fig. 12. In order to simultaneously withdraw the plates 95 to the position shown in Fig. 12, the said plates 95 are connected to the uprights 104: on the plate 94 by studs 105 engaging diagonal slots 106 in said uprights.

Secured to the plates 94: and 95 are the beveled lugs 107 which engage the hoop at three points, which act, when the plates 94 and 95 are withdrawn in the position indicated in Fig. 12, to force said hoop outwardly to eject it from the former, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

A eomplemental plate 108 is provided to act in conjunction with the guide 40, so as to direct the entering end of the wire into position to overlap the wire to provide for twistin the )osition of the wire bein in- CM b dicated in Fig. 7 one overlapping portion of the wire being shown in the guide a0 and the other in the recess 109 in the complemental plate 108. This plate 108 has the downwardly projecting portion 110 which moves in a guide 111. A lever 112 is pivotally connected to the guide 111, and is connected at its outer end to the downwardly extending portion 110 of the plate 108 by the screw 113 engaging the slot 114 in said lever 112. A spring 115 is connected to the lever 112 and to the g'uid a ,111. The other end of the lever 1-12 is pivotally connected- .to the plate 94,50 that when said plate is point below.

' To'provide'f'for thewithdrawal of the ejectors 116, cams 121 on the gear 63 are provided, said cams beingfadapted to engage rollers .119.

The operation .ofthemac'hine. is as follows:.,. a I Power is applied to: the shaft 3 and communicated therefrom-to the operative parts of the machine. The wire 28 is fed to the straightening rolls 39, whence vit passes to- I the feedfrolls21 and, 29 and is delivered through the guide 40 and twister-gear. 58 to the. former 91. The wire is directed through v the passage '91; formed in said former by the .undercut plates 94,= .and the complemental plate 108. as theiwire enters the; recess 109 of the complemental plate 108 .it

- is directed soas to.-ove rlap the rear end of the wire, and when'theproper amount of wire has been fed the knife 46 is operated tocut theiwire,1th'e cam 55flengaging the roller 57 on thearm 52 so that the knife holder 47 is drawn down. and the wire severed. The gripping devicethen comes into operation, whereby thearm? 8 is forced into position to tightly grip the overlapping wires beyond the twisterge'ar; This is accomplished by the cam 8.5 engaging the roller 83 on the lever83 which forcesthe pusher 83 outwardly and operates the gripper arm 78'. lVith .the wires gripped in this manner the twister-gear then comes into operation and the wires are twisted, as indicated in Figs. 14 and 15. v f

Assoon as the twistingoperation is completed the ejecting mechanism is brought into play, and-this is accomplished by the cam 103 engagin the roller 102 so that the lever 96 is moved to raise the plate 94, and thereby to withdraw the plates 95 and 108. By the movement, of the plates 94 and'95 the ejector lugs 10'? act to move the wire-hoop outwardly from the former, as clearly shown in Fig. 18, and at the same .time the cams. engage the rollers 119 on the slides 117 so that the ejectors 116 are advanced and force'the hoop outwardly beyond the slot of the twister-gear, so that the hoop is free to .ally from said former.

fall to a point below-and free from the ma chine without requiring anyoneto liftiit 1 i from the former. What Iclaim' is; M 1 v 1; In a 'machine for forming v-hoo-ps, the

combination of,a,former,.means-for feeding I the wire thereto, {means :for severing the wire, means forytwisting the overlapping wire and automatic mechanism for posi-[ ive y. former, I I p 2. Inga wire hoop machine, the .combinaa tion of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for, cutting the wire, means for twisting the overlap-ping wire, said former being in a planeat an angle to the horizon, andmeans forejecting the hoop jecting the hoop entirely from said .laterally'from said former. a I 3. In a 'wirejhooplmachine, the. comloination of a -former, meansfor' feeding thewire thereto, means .for'cutting the wire, means for twisting the overlapping portions, said former being arranged. in a verticalposis' tion, and means forv e ecting the hoop later-.

4.- In a wire hoop machine, thecombination ,of a former having a guidewajymeans for feeding the wire thereto, meansforjsevering the wire, means fortwisting theoverlapping portions, movable retainers on said.

former, and means for withdrawing saidretainers slmultaneouslyto permit ofthe W re being removed from said former.

5. In a 8 wire hoop machinepthe. combina tion of a former, means for feeding thereto, means for cutting the wire, means. for twisting the overlapping po-rtions fof" said wire, a. movable retaining. plate at the bottom ofsaid former, end plates connected to said movable plate, means formoving said plates simultanemain plate and said end ously. v j

6. In a-w'ire. hoop machine, the combina tion of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for cutting the wire, means for twisting the overlapping portions .of

said wire, a retaining plate at the bottom of said former, end retaining plates havmg studs thereon engaging diagonal slots formed in said fmain retaining plate, and meansfor,

withdrawing said main retaining plate...

. 7, In ,a' wire-hoop 1nachine,.the'combination of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for cutting the wire, means for twistlng the overlapping port ons. of said wire, movable retamln plates, means for moving inwardly said p ates, and eject-f ing means carried by said plates.

8. In a wire hoop machine, the combination of a former, means for feeding wire. thereto, means for cutting the wlre, means for twisting the overlapping portions of said wire, movable retainer plates on said former, means for withdrawing said retamer plates simultaneously, and beveled lugs on said plates adapted to engage the wire to eject it from said former.

9. In awire hoop machine, the combination of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for cutting the wire, means for twisting the overlapping portions of said wire, movable retainer plates on said former, a lever connected to one of said plates, connections between one of said plates and the other plates, whereby when said first plate is withdrawn said other plates are withdrawn,- a lever connected to the main plate and connections between said lever,and a cam whereby when said cam engages said lever said plates are withdrawn.

10. In a wire hoop machine, the combina tion of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for cutting the wire, means for twisting the overlapping portions of said wire, means for holding the wire on said former, means for withdrawing said holding means, and means for ejecting the wire completely from said former.

11. In a wire hoop machine, the combination of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for cutting the wire, means for twisting the overlapping portions, means for etaining the wire in said former, means for withdrawing said retaining means, ejectors at a plurality of points, and means for moving said ejectors outwardly to eject the Wire completely from said former.

12. In a wire hoop machine, the combination of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for cutting the wire, means for twisting the overlapping portions of said wire, means for retaining the wire in said former, means for withdrawing said retaining means, ejectors adapted to engage said wire at a plurality of points, cams, and connections between said cams and saidejectors, whereby said ejectorsare advanced and withdrawn.

13. In a wire hoop machine, the combination of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for cutting the wire, a'twister head having a slot therein to receive the overlapping portions of the wire, a gripper for holding the overlapping portions of the wire, means for retaining the wire in said former, means for withdrawing said retaining means, and ejecting means tor ejecting the wire completely from said former and from said slotted twister head.

14:. In a wire hoop achine, the comblination of a former, means forteeding the wire thereto, means for cutting said wire, means for twisting said wire at the overlapping port'iens, means torvretaining the wireon said formerpornprising guide'for directing the entening end of said wire into overlapping position with reference to the other portion of said wire, and :means for withdrawing said guide.

15. In a wire hoop machine, the combine tion of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means toreutting the wire, means for twisting the overlapping-portions of the wire, movable retaining means for holding the wire on said former, means for withdrawing said retaining means, and a movable guide for directing the entering end of said wire into overlapping position with reference to the other portion of the wire, and connections between said movable guide and said retaining means, whereby all are withdrawn at the same time.

16. In a wire hoop machine, the combination of a former, means for feeding wire thereto, means for cutting the wire, means for twisting the overlapping portions, a guide for delivering the wire to said former,

a comp'lemental guide operating in conjunction with said fiistmamed guide-adapted to guide the entering endofthe wire into overlapping position, and means for withdrawing-said complemental guide.

17. In a wire hoop machine, :the combination of a former, means rfior feedingthe wire thereto, means for cutting :the wire, 'means for twisting the overlapping ipontions, a piv ota'lly mounted gripping finger adapted to engage the overlapping portions, a pusher adapted to engage said :fi-nger, a cam, and connections -between said cam and said pusher for advanci ng the same.

in testimony whereof 1, the said GEORGE E. BULL, have hereuntoset my hand.

.GEURGE- E. BU

Witnesses JOHN F. WILL, HENRY How. 

